As I work my way through my list of Dartmouth restaurants to eat at since moving to this side of the harbour, it was inevitable that I would eat at Pleasant Street Diner. To my never-ending shame, I never made it to PSD's famed spiritual and familial predecessor, John's Lunch, so this was as close as I was going to get. The room is ringed by booths on the windowed exterior walls, tables fill the middle, and an old-school counter is at the back - complete with cushioned, rotating stools. PSD opens surprisingly late for a diner at 11am, and isn't open on Sundays, but it was unsurprisingly bustling when my friends and I showed up for lunch on a Saturday. Given their operating hours, their breakfast options are limited to omelettes and some breakfast sandwiches, so I opted for a different diner classic instead - their club sandwich. I figured I'd be back for dinner another time to have their fish, so a club seemed like the perfect lunch meal. Despite the crowd, our food came out impressively quick and my plate was piled high with wedges of the triple-decker sandwich and fries. The bread was well-toasted and held up against its layers of thick slices of roasted turkey breast, crisp bacon, and mayo-slathered tomato and lettuce. It was a solid rendition of a diner classic! The fries were of the from-frozen variety, but were decently crispy and very, very plentiful. I'd be remiss if I didn't mention their coleslaw. Normally this is just a forgettable two ounce cup scooped out of a Sysco bucket, but PSD goes all-in with a heap of lightly tart, shredded cabbage that covered the better part of a side plate. It reminded me of some of the Quebec-based rotisserie chicken chains that are all (oddly) about their coleslaw. My next time there saw me coming back for dinner with my wife in tow. We arrived around 6:30 on a Saturday, and while the place was full, there was only one other group ahead of us and we got a table after a short wait. I knew I *had* to get some fish, but I decided to splurge and go all-in on the seafood platter. They're a well-oiled machine at PSD, because despite the crowd (and perpetual takeout orders), we had our food in very good time. The menu isn't very descriptive, but given the other seafood options, I was right in my suspicions that the seafood platter would have haddock, clams, shrimp and scallops. With my past experience, I knew there'd be a good pile of coleslaw as well, and because of that heap of seafood and coleslaw, the fries had to come on their own plate, so really, this should be called the seafood platters - plural! I went after the clams and scallops first, as I felt like they have the shortest shelf life. The random twists and swirls of clam meat were tender and lightly sweet, without a hint of rubberineaa, and a good and crisp batter. I never really get why scallops get a light breading since they're never crisp and it adds limited flavour, but they were also cooked to perfection. My shrimp were pleasantly firm, with an amount of breading somewhere in between the dusting on the scallops and the heavier layer on the clams. My piece of haddock was a decent size, but the batter was pushing the border of being too thick and almost tough, with a mushy fish-batter interface. I'm not sure if this is from twice-frozen fish or par cooking, but it was a less than stellar showing for a place as well-known for its fish as they are. Tartar sauce is left at the tables and it's Kraft packets for takeout, so presumably it is at the tables as well. Once again, the fries were wildly plentiful and perfectly adequate, and I ended up taking most of them and some of the seafood home with me. The seafood platter may be the most expensive dish on the menu, but it can also feed two people! Pleasant Street Diner is carrying the torch of a family of restauranteurs, and while there's room for tweaks to become truly legendary (house-made tartar and hand-cut fries, please!), they're still checking a lot of the right boxes and people are definitely voting with their dollars and appetites. read more

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They ran out of chowder and clams but the service more than made up for it. Really friendly, great food and I went back 2 days later for clams. Delicious!!! read more

Pleasant St Diner - Clams and scallops!!! Yum! - American Near Me - Dartmouth, Nova Scotia

I was told by lady on the phone to come quick as it was not to busy yet,drove there and got inside and there were like a dozen people standing there waiting and the rude man taking registration names for next in line told me when I asked how long to get a seat he said 30 minutes ,so I then said take my name and I will be back in 20 minutes ,he said you will lose your place if my family and I do not wait there ,then I said so we have to stand looking stupid for 30 minutes he shrugged his shoulders ,so we went to Alderney gate ,the food was much cheaper and served in about 10 minutes AND FRESH,the last time last year went to pleasent st diner the fish was not fresh and clams were the worst I have ever had ,I was going to give another try as most places do not have clams in november ,never going back again TO UNPLEASENT ST DINER read more

My wife and I just had take out. She had the Western Omelet (came with toast and home fries) and coconut cream pie. I had the Clams and Haddock Tips (came with fries and coleslaw).Not only was the food excellent, but there was so much neither of us could finish it all. read more

I have had the Fried Haddock and the Halibits also. i eat there about 3 times a week. always great Dennis McCarty Katy Texas read more

Customer Service is everything! These guys are the friendliest bunch in the business. They make all who enter feel at home. The staff are wonderful. They have the tastiest seafood, never greasy, large portions for a reasonable price. Always busy, but they manage their take out and spacious dining area very well. One visit and you will become a loyal customer. Yum Yum.. read more

Pleasant St. Diner never fails. Always fresh and tasty. Had the seafood platter, with calamari as clams are not in season. I could eat here everyday read more

Pleasant St Diner - Seafood platter. I love how they put the fries on the side for the takeout orders. - American Near Me - Dartmouth, Nova Scotia

I've been looking to go to this diner for years to try their clams and chips....when John's lunch was sold and subsequently closed I wasn't surprised but thought I'd give these folks a try. OMG the best ever, soft and light batter with a touch of sweet. My husband had one of his old favourites liver and onions, he was so impressed. We will be totally faithful return customers. The staff are top notch, treat you very well, and stay professional but not too much. Incredible place, food, and staff. read more

We called to ask if they made reservations and the woman on the phone was extremely rude to my girlfriend. Cutting her off mid sentence and had an insane attitude. My girlfriend really loved this place but now we are completely turned off it read more

Tommy and the crew are amazing ! The food is always great and the staff are friendly and helpful. This is one of our 3 regular places to eat, whether dine in or take out, we always enjoy our food ! read more

Awesome home style food. Haddock and clams are hands down the best. Nothing better in Metro read more

Great food. Especially the haddock tips & fries, the haddock & fries, the grilled haddock & sides. The staff is awesome. One of the owners 'Tommy' greats you at the door with his wonderful smile & enthusiast energy. We always enjoy going there. The diner and its washrooms are always very clean. Great family diner atmosphere. 5 stars for sure. read more

Best place in the HRM for fresh deep fried seafood and haddock dinners . Staff are second to none

I have had a craving for seafood Chowder for over 3 weeks. I found The Pleasant Street Diner, had this for reasonable price. The chowder had quite a lot of fish in it. Social distancing was done outside. The staff in the store were very nice. As customer return due the wrong order, the staff allowed the customer to keep mistaken food free of charge as well as food order. I will be returning read more

Pleasant St Diner - Seafood Chowder - American Near Me - Dartmouth, Nova Scotia

Fantastic quaint little diner. Setup like an old diner with a refreshing modern take on the idea. Very nice ambience from the minute you walk in to the second you leave. Only complaint is the interior is rather small so eating in you sometimes feel rushed when theres a surge of customers waiting to be seated. Overall the food is what you expect; nothing amazing. The menu is the perfect size, but it feels like they havent taken advantage of that in order to make real fresh unique food. Instead a lot of the dishes feel frozen and pushed out. But the prices are a saving grace, quite cheap for what you get. Overall this is a good place to go for a quick bite to eat! read more

Great value here. Fresh seafood deep fried is the main draw. Pepsi products and canned beer to drink. Scallops, whole clams and haddock are excellent. Good service. Ample parking. read more

Pleasant St Diner - Seafood platter. Haddock, clams, scallops, shrimp with fries. - American Near Me - Dartmouth, Nova Scotia

Had the best clams I have ever ate the fish tips are amazing pie delicious been there twice in a week I am from Ontario and I will be there once more before I go back great staff very friendly read more

It was pleasant No claims but the fish tips were good atmosphere was warm and inviting read more

The location may seem a little sketchy to the point that you might decide to but leave your vehicle, but considering the easy parking in this larger lot, it is worth the effort to walk into this non descript restaurant. You will probably need surprised to see how full the tables are. In fact, there was a line up on the weekday lunch hour visit when we were there once seated, the servers proved to be very quick to serve, they were friendly and engaged with their customers. Our food arrived within minutes of being ordered and we could but help but comment on the large portions presented to us both. The amount of calamari on top of the fresh salad was amazing. I thoroughly enjoyed eating the calendar first before tackling there huge, fresh salad underneath the mound of calamari. In short, the calamari was tender, the battery was slightly oily, but very acceptable. The salad was very fresh with generous amounts of feta cheese and kalamata olives although the red onions were surprisingly too 'oniony'. The pan fried haddock was very early tasty and perfectly cooked. The ample fries were acceptable. All in all, a good visit to a diner style restaurant. I will definitely go back read more

Pleasant St Diner - Restaurant interior - American Near Me - Dartmouth, Nova Scotia

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Huge, delicious portions at a great price. Wow! A local diner worth visiting. In a non-descript strip mall, but it's full and lively. The service is quick and friendly read more

Pleasant St Diner - Great breakfast! - American Near Me - Dartmouth, Nova Scotia

Had the fish n chips with coleslaw. The coleslaw was not good. The fries were not good either. The fish was amazing though and was some of the best I've ever had. If you go here I think it is best to just stick with the seafood. Service was fast and friendly. read more

Finished a three week trip around Nova Scotia and tried the fish N chips everywhere we went. Pleasant Street Diner is by far the best we've had!! Easily the best fish N chips I've ever eaten!! read more

It may be easy to look over this place at first, but trust me, really great customer service and amazing dinner style foods. We stopped in for breakfast, and it was well worth it. Awesome milkshakes too. read more

The Pleasant St Diner is a great place to eat. We had fish and chips , scallops and salad. Everyone loved what they ordered and the service was great. read more

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Pleasant Street Diner is always worth the visit. So glad you are open for take out. Their food is always great and the staff are so nice. Never go anywhere else for fried clams, they are to die for. Try to go once a week but sometimes turns to more than that. Love you guys ! read more

This is my new favourite place to grab a like home made meal without having to do the dishes... When they first opened, I will admit I was a little unsure whether this was going to be someplace I would frequent more than once or twice... based on the fact that they were being compared to the Famous John's Lunch, because most of the staff had left there to run their own place. I am so glad they did... they serve the same quality of fish and chips but also have a larger menu for those wanting more. The space they have features a decent size dinning room and a large eat at counter. When you order take out you don't have wait outside like the other place and you don't play hit or miss if you want to eat in like @John's. I love this place and it's definitely a family favourite. read more

I was impressed by the Pleasant Street diner. Food was very good and the staff were excellent. For it kind of being out of the way, was a good experience and I'd recommend it! read more

My partner and I went to the Pleasant St. Diner for the first time this month and it's a gem! You can tell it's a favourite when there's a lineup of locals, but it went quickly. You put your name on the list when you walk in (usually staff greeted people right after they walked in) and then there are chairs to sit in and lots of space to stand. We had a table within five minutes or so. It's styled like an old diner with lots of basic food for affordable prices. You can get takeout or eat-in, but the menu notes that you can't get their homemade tartar sauce for takeout orders. I ordered the two-pice fish & chips, which was enough food for two meals! My partner got a parmesan omelet and we had an order of onion rings to try them out. Everything looked great and everything I tried tasted fantastic! The staff here were all really friendly and welcoming. We had mentioned at the start that it was our first time there and when we went up to the cash to pay, they remembered and asked us how we liked our first visit. There's lots of parking available since this is part of an old strip mall. We definitely plan to go back and it's perfect for folks who want to eat out on a budget or love diner staples. read more

Amazing seaFOOD !! Great portions! Deliciousness! Find myself remembering this place and thinking of the fresh amazing seafood all the time!

I was visiting from Maryland, US. and my friends took me out for dinner. This restaurant is known for there's Seafood, and by the amount of people eating and waiting to be seated. There's no doubt about it! The servings are huge and everything I had was delicious! read more

My arrival at the airport was 11:30am, I went straight to pleasant street diner for the delicious clams and chips. I will be heading back again and this time for the equally delicious fish and chips. This diner is a great example of amazing local seafood and fish but also hospitality. I wish this place existed in Toronto, I would love to be a regular. read more

Huge renovation, the restaurant setup and furniture is fantastic. The food is still fantastic of course, service is not always consistent though, don't go during peak meal hours, it gets very busy. Their seafood platter is a huge favourite, you should definitely order that on your first visit! read more

Pleasant St Diner - American Near Me - Dartmouth, Nova Scotia

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I'd read some good reviews of this place so thought I'd give it a try. Massive disappointment! The fish was dry, the batter soggy and the fries were frozen. The tartar sauce came in little plastic Kraft containers. I'm not sure what all the hype was about...going back to Evan's which on its worst day blows this place out of the water. read more

Great food, great staff. We frequent this spot for a diner breakfast, but the burgers, sandwiches, and seafood are not to be missed. Well lit dining room where you can hear your table-mates well. A good dinner spot if you have any hard or hearing folks in your crew. read more

This is by far the best place to eat! Home style meals and large portions and great variety . Fish and chips are the bomb! My sister had liver and onions and really enjoyed it. Everyone that goes there enjoys meals and friendly staff. I definitely give a thumbs up to Pleasant St Diner! My son calls in his order and picks it up. Try their yummy fish burger. read more

Classic diner food. Onion rings were crispy and delicious and the turkey club hit the spot. More food than I needed so I was able to make supper out of the leftovers. Friendly staff, clean and just a good old classic diner setting... Complete with open kitchen and lunch counter to boot read more

I have always enjoyed every meal that Stephen and Tom as brothers have offered. They started their culinary journey years ago with their parents. This location has ample parking and more importantly fair prices and always fresh seafood. Pan fried haddock and breaded scallops are my favorites. But admit my spouse loves their beef offerings like smoked meat or hot beef sandwiches. The menu is diverse but always prepared to the highest standards. I am glad to say that for almost 50 years Fotis and his family have fed my family well and always make us feel part of their own family here at the diner and where they got started just down the road at John's lunch. Thanks! read more

Large hot diner portions for breakfast. Nice hot coffee to get the day started. No avocado toast here. Owner/operator stops by the tables just to double check on patrons. This is the best diner breakfast experience in Halifax/Dartmouth. read more

My dad and I decided to give this place a try considering all the high praise it has gotten and its relationship to John's Lunch. While I'm happy to see a restaurant appear to survive in this area of Dartmouth, we weren't really blown away by our experience. The woman working the cash wasn't overly friendly or helpful for starters and most of the items on the menu are deep fried. Yes, I know it's a diner so that's largely to be expected, but it still would be nice to have a little more variety. We both opted for what appeared to be the healthiest item on the menu (aside from the salads) which was the grilled haddock with choice of potato, veggies and slaw. The menu says it's lightly breaded, but with what is anyone's guess. There was a strange sweetness to the batter which was fairly off-putting. I don't know too many people that like sweet tasting fish. Luckily it can be drowned in tartar sauce. The veggies were bland, the fries were decent and so was the slaw. It's unfortunate that the fries and slaw were the stars of the dish. This place is usually quite busy so maybe the other items on the menu is what keeps bringing people back, but I'm in no rush to go back. read more

Very good food and large portions with friendly, fast service. I was really hungry when I ordered the seafood platter for $19 but couldn't finish it because it had a large piece of fish, 4 scallops,4 shrimp and more clams than fries. It was very tasty but I should have saved room for the home made coconut cream pie. I will be back! read more